Catch Me When I Fall
by One.Last.Tear
Summary: Tommy has an older sister that the gang's never heard about- until now. She's been away in America for 2 years, but what happens when she comes back home and finds herself suddenly falling into Koji's arms- literally?
1. The Start

Catch Me When I Fall

Chapter One: The Start

A/N: Okay, I haven't written a fanfic in the longest time so I apologize in advance for any mistakes and what not. I also do NOT have a plot for this story currently; I'm just writing as I go along. So bear with me here. This is an experiment for now. But if you guys like it, I'll keep on going. and going. and going.

* * *

"Hey, Big Sister? I know it's only your first day back home, but I told my friends I wanted them to meet someone," my little brother asked me.

"You mean those older kids you're always telling me about, Tommy?" He nodded his head.

"No problem," I told him and gave him a thumbs up. Before he ran up to his room, he gave me a quick hug to thank me. _At least I won't have to be a babysitter for two and a half months_. As I was unpacking the rest of my stuff, I heard the doorbell ring. _That must be Tommy's little friends_. But before I could even reach the staircase, he was already downstairs, opening the front door.

"Hey Tommy!" I heard multiple voices say one after the other. When they finally stepped inside and into full view, I realized they were all about my age: high school juniors. So I tried walking down the stairs as coolly as humanly possible, but that didn't exactly work out too well. Instead of having a complete and total Hollywood glamour moment with the wind blowing through my hair, I tripped and almost fell down about seven steps. If it hadn't been for the boy with the bandana on his head, who knows what would've happened. All of a sudden I found myself in the arms of Bandana Boy.

"Thanks," I practically whispered, feeling my face heat up. _Very smooth, Kari_.

"My pleasure," he said, helping me get back on my feet. He didn't let go of me, though.

"Nice bandana."

"Nice entrance," he smirked at me. I was about to say something back but Takuya interrupted.

"That's my boy, Koji! Sweeping the ladies off their feet, huh?" He started slapping 'Koji' on the back to congratulate him, which snapped him back into reality.

"You guys, this is my big sister, Kari," Tommy said and stood beside me. "She's been in America for two years. She got exchanged or something. But I think she's in the same class as you."

"I'll be in my junior year. My mom's sending me to your school in the fall," I said.

"Cool," Goggle Boy stepped forward. "I'm Takuya. This girl right next to me is Izumi. Oh, she also used to live in Italy for a while so I bet you've got tons in common, like shopping and stuff. That guy over there's JP. And Kouichi's the one here with the baseball cap." I looked around at everyone Takuya just introduced, trying to match up faces and names. Then my gaze fell on Koji, the boy who saved me from falling down the stairs. _What a charming way to meet someone_.

"But you probably already know his twin brother, Koji," Takuya started pulling at his bandana and flashed a mischievous grin at me. _I better brace myself for what's about to be thrown my way this summer_. So after we were done with all the formalities, I went back to my room to finish unpacking. After a while, I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I called out as I hung another shirt in my closet.

"Hey," I heard a voice say, hesitantly opening the door. It was Kouichi.

"Oh, hi. Sorry, I'm still unpacking my stuff; and I've got a lot."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it. I share a room with Koji." We both laughed. "So when did you get home?"

"Just this morning, actually. I'm still adjusting to the time difference," I said, yawning.

"You should rest first, then. We'll take care of Tommy for you."

"Thanks," I smiled at him. "Oh, and your brother?"

"Huh? Koji? Oh. No; no girlfriend," he told me as he walked out the door. _This is going to be an interesting summer_, I thought as I lied down in a pile of shirts. (Wow, that was a short chapter!)

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A/N: Please R&R, people! Read and Review! Tell me if you like it and I'll upload the next chapter(hopefully). And even if you don't like it, I'll probably still continue. Hahaha.

MWAH! Bye-Bye for now!

.:One Last Tear:.


	2. Tree House Fun

Catch Me When I Fall

Chapter Two: Tree House Fun

A/N: OK, so if you liked the first chapter, here's the second one. I had a little trouble with this one, but remember: I have no plot in my mind right now; I am just writing as it comes. But I hope you like it anyways!

_This is going to be an interesting summer_, I thought as I lied down in a pile of clothes.

* * *

The next thing I knew was that there was sunlight creeping through the window blinds in my bedroom. I could even hear a tea kettle whistling. _Mom's making breakfast_. I walked downstairs very carefully, considering yesterday's incident, and went into the kitchen only to see Mom cooking just like she used to.

"Hi Mom," I said nervously. _I haven't seen my mom in two years_.

"Oh, good morning, dear. Did you sleep well? My, don't you look beautiful! It must've been that California sun doing its magic. Welcome home, sweetie," she replied, giving me a hug. She told me to sit at the table; she made my favorite: double chocolate chip muffins and a plate of pancakes drowned in syrup. After I ate breakfast, I took a shower, and never got to finish fixing my room because Tommy wanted to take me to the park. He said it was important- and that they had cleaned the park while I was away.

"We even have a tree house! It's so cool; it's got a fake trap door and a really long ladder. And there are six hammocks for all of us. Sometimes we sleep there during summer time. Maybe we can get you a hammock, too."

"Oh, Tommy, that's really sweet of you, but they're _your_ friends.

"They said it was okay. They really like you. Koji wouldn't say anything, though. But I bet he likes you, too. He's just like that."

"Yeah. I can tell," I said, looking around so Tommy wouldn't be able to see the smile on my face. He was right; there were a lot of changes. The park was much cleaner, the roads looked new, and they had even planted more trees and flowers. There were daisies, chrysanthemums, roses, tulips... And then we came across the biggest tree I've ever seen in my life.

"Hey! There it is, Kari!" Tommy shouted, running up to the humongous tree. _Boy Scouts_...

"You guys! We're here!" he yelled from underneath the tree house.

JP stuck his head out the door. "Come on up, you two."

Good thing I wasn't wearing a skirt. Skirts are definitely not for climbing ladders- or anything at all.

"Hey Kari," Takuya grinned at me again.

"H-hey," I replied, trying to hide my fear of what Takuya was planning in his head.

"Dude, Koji. Wake up, man," JP shook Bandana Boy's white hammock. No luck.

"Hey Koji. Kari's here," Kouichi told his brother, knowing that would surely get his attention.

Apparently that did the trick because he immediately sat up. We all burst out laughing- even me, although I was blushing at the same time. I saw him mumble something under his breath, something I couldn't understand, but I could tell he was embarrassed(and angry). Next, he hopped out of his hammock and walked out onto the balcony.

_This tree house has a balcony?_

That was the moment Kari stepped out of my body and somebody else took main control. I found my legs moving towards the balcony, following Koji outside. He was leaned over the railing, eyes closed, deep in thought. When he heard a floorboard squeak under my foot, he quickly turned around with an embarrassed look on his face- and his eyes: I swear I could see a deep desire to kill me slowly and painfully. I stopped breathing.

"Oh, it's you. I thought you'd be Takuya," he explained, looking away. He relaxed, which made me realize that death glare wasn't meant for me. _Thank goodness_. I stood next to him, leaning over the rail like he was, as though I always follow people outside.

"So, how was America?" I could tell he wanted to ask me something else. America would just break the ice. Or I guess I just wanted him to ask if I had a boyfriend. I don't know; I'm messed up.

"It was good. But the guys are cuter here in Japan." I tensed when he didn't respond at all. "Okay, look. I f you've got something to say, spit it out. Do you have anything to say?"

"Nope. Nothing at all."

"Okay, then."

Silence.

"You know, you're a lot different from your brother," I said as I sat down in a chair behind Koji.

"We're twins, but we're practically exact opposites."

"Huh. You guys fight a lot, don't you?"

"Especially over girls."

"I see. You're so different from each other, you have the same taste in women."

"Yeah, but I always win when it comes to girls." I started laughing.

_That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard_.

"What? You don't believe me?" he wailed. I gave him a skeptical look. "Aw, come on," he was astonished.

"Always?" I asked, standing up so that we would be face-to-face.

"Always," he replied, moving closer.

"You sure about that, Bandana Boy?" I moved in closer so that there was only about an inch between us.

"Positive." We were so close to making that inch disappear when Takuya came out.

"Hey, Koji! You alright?" he yelled out. We both immediately stepped back and tried to look as though we weren't just about to lock lips. Koji looked like he wanted to strangle Takuya.

"Oh, Kari, we were all going to go th the soccer field. You wanna come?" Takuya asked me. Then he shot Koji a look that I wasn't able to read.

"Well, sure. But I'm not much of a soccer player."

"That's okay. Koji can teach you. He's on the team."

"Yeah, I totally kick his-" Koji was interrupted by Takuya.

"Yeah. Suure you do. Then why am_ I_ team captain?" I started laughing. _These guys are ridiculous._

"Let's just go," Koji said and stormed past us. Takuya and I shrugged at each other.

"Drama queen," he said to me.

(OK, I was going to make this chappie longer but I got lazy haha)

* * *

A/N: Okay, that probably sucked but I don't care. Oh, and if you think this Kari is Kari Kamiya, she's not. She's an original character of mine(who happens to have the same name). But if you want her to be Tai's little sister, then go ahead. I'm not the one who's reading this.

P.S. I'll be going on a trip with my choir for the next few days and what not. I'll try to update all that I have now before I leave, and hopefully I'll get some inspiration while I'm on the trip. So when I come back, a plot might magically create itself in my brain.


	3. The Minamoto Marvel

Catch Me When I Fall

Chapter Three: The Minamoto Marvel

A/N: Okay, so... longer chappie. I think. After this one, I'll start incorporating my newly created story PLOT. Yes, I do have an actual plot now in my brain- thanks to my friend, Yolei. Hopefully I'll be able to stick to the plan and make it work, and hopefully I'll be able to make it interesting for all you readers out there. I'm super excited for this story, so just try to bear with me here.

* * *

"_Drama Queen," he said to me._

* * *

Izumi was the first one down the ladder; I was last, right after Koji. And about five steps to the ground, I had yet another Hollywood glamour moment. Koji caught me again. This time, our faces were simply a centimeter apart. Or a tenth of a centimeter. I don't know; take your pick.

"Um, thanks- again," I managed to say.

"No problem. Kinda saw it coming," he replied, smiling at me. It was one of those warm, genuine smiles. You know, the really rare kind. And then I couldn't breathe. The way he smiled at me, looked at me, held me: it was overwhelming, really. I can't describe it. It seemed that, to him, I was the only person in the whole entire world. _Oh, what am I thinking? I've only known him for a day, and here I am, melting in his arms!_

"Hey, come on! Break it up, you two," Takuya brought us back into the real world.

We looked like we had woken up from a trance. I snuck a glance at Koji and saw his blazing red cheeks. After he helped me balance on my two feet(for the second time), we all headed to the high school's soccer field. The whole way there I was stuck listening to Izumi go on and on about her relationship with Takuya. It's not that it wasn't interesting or that I don't like Izumi, I just wanted to talk with Koji. I mean, I barely anything about the guy- except that he's single(thanks to Kouichi). Once we reached our desired destination, Takuya became like a kid in a candy store. He dribbled the ball down the field in super speed and kicked the ball straight into the goal.

"Yeah! Now _that_ is how you do the Kanbara Two Step!" he shouted.

"What a show-off," JP scoffed.

"Kanbara Two Step?" I asked Izumi.

"It's his trademark winning goal. He even taught it to me," she replied.

"Hey Minamoto! Let's see what you got!" Takuya threw the ball to Koji. He cursed under his breath and then dribbled the ball towards the goal, kicking it in as well.

"So, what do you call _that_ move?" I asked him when he got back to the sidelines.

"Nothing. I don't have a name for it," he answered.

"Well, I do. And I'll give it to you- on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"You have to walk me home tonight."

"Deal. Now, come on," he took my hand and led me out to the field. "Here's how you do _my_ Kanbara Two Step."

And to be honest- Koji's a really good teacher. Too bad I wasn't paying attention to a word he said. After my little soccer lesson, Tommy asked if he could sleep over at JP's tonight. _Great. Now I'll be all alone tonight._

"Sure, Tommy. Just call me, okay?" I gave him a hug. So JP took Tommy, Takuya and Izumi walked home together(they're neighbors; go figure), and Kouichi said he was going to meet up with his (mystery)girlfriend.

"Hey. A deal's a deal," I told Koji.

"Aw man. I can't believe I agreed to this torture." I punched him in the arm.

"Hahaha. You know, I really don't mind taking you home," he admitted.

"You just want a name for that soccer move of yours."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, grinning at me. I shot him a mock-offended look.

"Hey, a deals's a deal," he quoted me. _I can't believe he just quoted me._

"Okay, how about 'The Minamoto Marvel?'" I gave up fighting. It was no use.

"Kari, that's brilliant! How'd you come up with that?" (lol sorry I couldn't think of anything)

"It just came to me, I guess."

"Wow."

"No. 'Wow' is the sky right now. It must be at least a billion different colors- at the same time."

"That's the beauty of summer," he turned to look at me. I stopped walking and stood there, looking back at him. _I wonder why he's looking at me all funny_... _Does he know we're home already?_ Apparently he didn't know; actually, he misunderstood me. He thought I was waiting for him to kiss me. He started to lean over.

"Oh, uh, Koji?" I muttered to him, pointing at the house in front of us. He looked up.

"Huh? Oh. OH. R-right. W-well," he stammered. He looked down at his feet in an attempt to hide his crimson cheeks.

"Thanks for walking me home, Koji," I said, trying to make him feel better. I didn't. He quickly nodded to me in acknowledgment and was about to turn around when I stopped him.

"Hey! The sun's starting to set," I paused once I knew I had his attention. "We could sit out here and watch it if you want." He turned around to look at me.

"Your parents?"

"Not home right now."

He looked up at the sky as if it had the answer to his question. I guess the answer was 'Yes' because he went with me up the steps of the front porch, and sat down next to me in a huge lawn chair Tommy and I found when he was little. It was a hideous chair, but we loved it because the both of us could fit in it. Koji and I simply sat there in silence, gazing at the multicolored summer sky. As the night began to cool down, I scooted closer to Koji. After a while he got the message and realized I was cold. So he draped his jacket over my shoulders and wrapped his arms around me with no hesitation.

"Maybe you should head inside now. You know, so you don't get sick," he panicked, letting me go, his ears turning red.

"Do you -maybe- wanna come in? I-I mean, it gets kind of lonely... in my room," I heard myself say. _Oh my gosh, did I just say that? Shut up, Kari. _I mentally started hitting myself in the forehead repeatedly.

"Uh... Sure," he answered reluctantly, confusion in his voice. Although I could see the corners of his mouth curve slightly upward. He was laughing at my choice of words. _Oh, great. What the hell is wrong with me? 'Lonely? In my _room_?'_ I scolded myself as I regretfully unlocked the door. Once we got in, I went into the kitchen to get something to eat. I noticed Koji standing in the doorway. He looked frozen.

"You've been in here before, you know. It's not like it's your first time," I reminded him. I tried to get an idea of what might possibly be going through his mind at this moment.

"Yeah, I know. But- it's just that..." he motioned to me.

"What? I make you nervous?" I teased him, walking over to an awestruck Koji. He was paralyzed, almost. I slowly wrapped arms around his neck and began to untie the bandana on his head. He took it from my hands and wrapped it around my neck, pulling me close. (haha you really begin to wonder what the purpose of that bandana is) We were close enough for me to feel his heart beating against mine. He had me trapped. I felt my knees go weak as he stared into my eyes, and then I simply couldn't support my body anymore. I started to sink to the floor- and because of the bandana around my neck, I brought Koji down with me. So we sat there, across from each other, on my livingroom floor for what seemed like hours. We looked into each other's eyes, trying to hide the fear of how much we wanted this. But then I could feel myself put up a barrier, a wall. I wasn't ready to let someone get that close to me again. I know what happens afterward.

Apparently, I had dozed off, probably due to my lack of rest since my flight back home. I found myself lying down on the sofa under a blanket. Koji was sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of the sofa. His eyes were closed but I could tell he wasn't really asleep. I ran my fingers through his raven locks. He shifted a little, but still continued to fake sleep. So I quietly crept upstairs to change my clothes and get an extra blanket and pillows. When I got back to the living room, he was watching television. I sat down next to him and handed him a pillow. After a few minutes, he turned to face me.

"Look, Kari. I'm sorry about earlier," he said.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" I had no idea what was he was talking about.

"You know. What happened right when we got inside."

"But why are you _apologizing_?"

"I just- it made me think... about things- stuff. It made you think, too, right? I saw it in your eyes. I felt that wall you put up."

"You don't have to apologize for what happened to me in the past," I told him. I grabbed a pillow and hauled it at his head. It caught him by surprise so much he jumped up and fell off the couch. "But don't worry. You're forgiven."

"Ouch! What was that for?!" he yelled, rubbing his head where the pillow hit him.

"Hahaha. I don't know. I just felt like it-HEY!" he threw it back at me.

"Got ya!" he declared victoriously, cracking up. I interrupted his laughter with a smack on the back of his head with another pillow; thus commencing the ultimate pillow fight. I say 'ultimate' because the fight wasn't just confined to the livingroom. If we had been a television show, you would've seen two people running after each other through the whole house, throwing pillows. Well, it's pretty hard to explain in words. In other words, the fight traveled throughout the whole house, and ended in my room. We both plopped onto my bed in exhaustion and stared up at the ceiling. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep. But I could still feel Koji's hand slide gently over mine. When I woke up, I looked over at Koji, temporarily forgetting what had just happened the night before. This was why:

"Koji? What happened to your pants?" _I must still be dreaming. Please be a dream, please!_

"Huh? Oh, I can't sleep in pants."

"Good to know." I felt my cheeks burn up. I tried my hardest not to look down.

"Does it bother you?"

"Um- well... yeah. Just a little bit." _What the hell? Of course it bothers me!_

"Oh, well, you'll get used to it after a while," he replied coolly. My eyes completely bugged. _What does he mean by 'after a while': 'I'm going to be sleeping in the same room as him from now on'? _Then he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! You should've seen the look on your face! I so got you- again!" he exclaimed, cracking up.

"You conniving little..." I got up, sat on his stomach, and strangled him with his bandana.

"Haha- OW! Get off of me!" he yelled, trying not to laugh.

"No way! This is what you get for trying to pull one on me." Since he now knew I wouldn't give up, he tried to get me off him himself. But instead of doing that, he ended up pushing me off the bed. I pulled him down with me so we would both have fallen off. This time, he was the one on top of me. We blushed once we realized the position we were in.

"Um... uh, Koji? Do you mind getting off of me?"

"Oh, uh... sorry," he stood up and then helped me up.

"And, Koji?"

"Yeah?"

"You might wanna put your pants back on."

"Right."

A/N: OK, so... this wasn't exactly my favorite chapter to write, but things were getting too intense between Koji and Kari so she just had to lighten things up a bit. I don't care if you don't like this one because the plot shall rise in chapter 4! So before you go to horrible conclusion-jumping and started judging this fic, just wait a couple more chappies.

Thanks! Don't forget to R&R! Read and REVIEW. haha:)


	4. In Retrospect

Catch Me When I Fall

Chapter Four: In Retrospect

A/N: Hey, One Last Tear here. You see, the reason this is my first fic in two years is Long-Term Writer's Block. Or maybe it was just laziness. So I'm starting to get lazy again- but don't worry! This story shall go on! And, really, this story has only gotten so far because of all you readers- and REVIEWERS. I especially want to thank the first reviewer of this story: _**Expired in Goreville**_. Thanks for all the support and I hope you like this chapter because I don't. Apologies in advance(I don't know how to write about Kouichi).

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That was pretty much how the whole first half of our summer went: for Koji and me, it was always ALMOST everything. We'd ALMOST kiss, we'd ALMOST go on a date, we'd ALMOST admit the feelings we've been keeping to ourselves. Every time we were about to get close to each other, we'd put up another wall. _I_ would put up another wall. I've been trying to forget about what happened that time, but whenever I think of Koji, something in my brain reminds me not to get close. Or else I'm going to end up losing Koji the way I lost him.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning here in Japan: sunny, quiet and peaceful since no one was out in the town. They were all still asleep in bed. It was nice to be practically the only one walking along the sidewalks, except for the random joggers. Back in Washington DC, there were never any peaceful times- unless I was in California for summer breaks. Since it was the nation's capital, it was a complete tourist destination. There were always people. I wasn't one of the people in bed because I had to go to the market to do errands. My, what a wild child. Last night I was up late talking on the phone, and so I absentmindedly ate all of the ice cream in the freezer. I have to replace it before my mom finds out. She hates it when I do that.

While I was trying to find the ice cream aisle, I passed by Koji... No, wait. That wasn't Koji. But I swear he seriously looked exactly like Koji. He knew my name, too. My brain then finally took in his baseball cap. _Damn, I must really be sleepy from last night's phone conversation._

"Hey, Kouichi. What are you doing here?"

"Buying frozen waffles for my 5 year old brother. This morning he threw a temper tantrum because he realized he had eaten all of them last night. He threw the empty box at my head and kicked me out the door to buy some more. So, what's your story?" he answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, uh... I just wiped out my whole ice cream supply last night. I have to restock or my mom will freak..."

"Oh. So was that you on the phone last night? I figured."

"Um, yeah. That was me. He didn't wanna tell you?"

"Don't take it personally; Koji just tends to keep things to himself. Especially when he really cares about them." I felt myself blush.

"Hey. Are you doing anything today?" I asked him.

"Nah. Koji's got some soccer thing today."

"Oh, well, I was thinking that maybe we could talk. And finish all of this ice cream, too, so I'd have to come back here again."

"Sure. You think my brother will mind?"

"Why would he?" I smiled at him. He helped me pick out ice cream and then he even paid for all of them.

"Kouichi, you really don't have to," I told him, putting my hand over his so he couldn't take out his money.

"Don't worry. My treat," he said, giving me a big smile. _Such a gentleman. _So Kouichi and I walked back to my house and ate ice cream all day. Okay, so we talked, too.

"So... you're dating my brother, huh?"

"No... I'm not."

"You're not?"

"He hasn't exactly asked me yet. Or even mentioned it at all. Not even casually."

"I'm gonna knock some sense into that idiot."

"Idiot?"

"Yeah. He's stupid not to see what a great catch he's got and to go for it," he looked at me, and smiled with his eyes. "Look, if I tell you something, you have to promise not to let Koji know you know anything about it, okay?"

"Got it."

"The reason he's got some trust issues- you've noticed that, right?"

"Yeah, I have, actually."

"Well, that's because he got his heart broken during the school year. You see, even though he never said anything, Koji's had this huge crush on Izumi ever since we all met. He was too afraid to tell her how he felt, so he waited and waited for the right moment. It didn't come- until Izumi and Takuya finally took a break from each other. He left her a note at the end of the last day of the school year, telling her to meet him at the tree house later that evening."

"She didn't come?"

"No, she came. But so did Takuya. Apparently, Takuya had been looking for Izumi the whole day, trying to apologize to her. So once Koji had gotten to the park and could see the tree house, Takuya was already climbing up the ladder. They got back together, and till this day, Izumi still thinks _Takuya_ was the one who left her that note. And my brother's too much of a chicken to tell her the truth."

"How did he deal with that? Getting his chance taken away from him so quickly?"

"Well, considering he liked her for about 5 years... he didn't take the heartbreak too well."

"Hm. I know what that feels like..."

"You do? Don't tell me Koji did something to hurt you. I'm gonna kill him."

"No, no, not Koji. Just... someone."

"Someone from America?"

"Yeah. His name was Jesse. We met each other at school. We practically had all of our classes together so we became best friends, practically brother and sister. But then it started to grow into something more, but we were too shy to admit it. We didn't want to ruin our friendship. What made it worse was that I found out I had to go back home; even worse, I didn't tell him."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because... right when I was about to tell him, he told me he loved me. It happened after school was dismissed for summer, at our class's beach bonfire. Then he kissed me, and told me he never felt as happy as he did holding me in his arms. He said he'd never let me go."

"You were afraid to break his heart, right?"

"Yeah. He waited a full two years to tell me, and then I had to leave..."

"And you did? You just left?"

"Well, on my way to the airport, I stopped by his house. And I told him. He was so angry because I told him only about a couple of hours before my flight... I just didn't want our last days together to be sad. I wanted to him stay happy."

"But he didn't understand?"

"I don't think so. I mean, he _did _slam the door in my face without saying goodbye... So I went on to the airport, trying to stick into my brain that I was never going to see him again. And then, there he was: at Gate 31, standing there, waiting for me. I couldn't even walk over to him; I was so surprised to see him. For some reason, I even started crying. He ran over to me, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me- kissed me like he would never kiss me again, because he wouldn't."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No. We haven't called each other, haven't emailed. I think it's better like that."

"You're not ready to admit the fact that you can't be with him?" I nodded.

The rest of the day, Kouichi and I watched a couple of DVD's and ordered pizza. At about 8, he walked home. It was just an ordinary day and an ordinary conversation. Boy, was I wrong. Today would turn my whole summer upside down.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if that was a bad ending. Or a bad chapter. I wanted to squeeze in another idea but I decided to put it off as the beginning of the next chappie. So before you stop reading this story, be patient and wait a little while. Who knows? I might just turn this story around.

infinite x's and o's,

**One Last Tear**


	5. An Unexpected Surprise

Catch Me When I Fall

Chapter Five: An Unexpected Surprise

A/N: Hey. One Last Tear here. Sorry if it's been awhile. I got super lazy. And, yeah... That's no excuse. Well, I'll try to update more often from now but... Nothing's guaranteed. Hope you guys like this chapter, and hope you'll keep on reading. And reviewing! Thanks for all your support.

P.S. We're switching up the POV here to Kouichi.

_It was just an ordinary day and an ordinary conversation. Boy, was I wrong. Today would turn my whole summer upside down._

* * *

POV: Kouichi

_Damn it. Where is Kouichi with my waffles? He's been gone the whole day . . . I wonder where he went_,thought Koji.

He went into the bathroom and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost nine already. He let it go and stepped into the bathtub, thoughts of Kari floating around in his brain. He mentally slapped himself for his supreme idiocy.

"Idiot! Why didn't you kiss her, you moron!" I heard Koji yell from upstairs as I opened the front door.

_Who the hell could he be talking to? Well, obviously not Kari; although I wouldn't be surprised if he had snuck his little girlfriend in his room. I mean, who wouldn't? She's gorgeous. Wait, did I just think that? Koji would kill me if he knew I was thinking about his girlfriend like that._

So I tried to focus on the mysteries of my twin. But instead I found myself thinking about her, dreaming about her: her eyes, her smile, her laugh. All of the magical things about her simply captured me. Then I thought about the most important thing about her: she was my brother's girlfriend.

_Girlfriend_.

That reminded me of someone . . . That reminded me of _my_ girlfriend. How could I forget my own girlfriend? What was her name again? Oh yeah, Riiko.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" I heard Koji yell. Thankfully, that broke my horrid thoughts.

I walked upstairs slowly so if he decided to suddenly throw a heavy item across the room, I would have a better chance of dodging. I checked his room but he wasn't in there. I walked farther down the hallway and saw light coming from the crack under the bathroom door. I opened it hesitantly.

"Koji? You okay?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

_I know what it's like when you disturb my brother . . . And it's not pretty. That's for sure._

I stuck my head in and this was the scene I found:

Koji, sitting in the bathtub, clutching a rubber ducky in front of his face.

_So _that_'s who-er, what-he was yelling at. _

When he finally noticed my presence in the bathroom, his face went pale white. For a couple of minutes, neither of us moved; it was as if everything became frozen. But once everything took motion again, my brother's face suddenly turned red and let go of the duck.

_Quack!_

We said nothing and just looked at each other.

_My brother was yelling at a rubber ducky in the bathtub_ . . .

The oddity of it all was just so . . . odd, all I could do was close the bathroom door and walk downstairs. I practically rolled down the steps in a fit of laughter and tears.

After about 15 minutes, Koji came down to the kitchen without his little rubber friend. He scowled at me as he dried his hair with a towel.

"Did you get my waffles?" he growled.

"Yeah; in the fridge." I bit my lip to prevent myself from laughing.

"Hey, where were you today? It doesn't take _that_ long to go to the store," he asked me as he opened the fridge.

"What? Oh. I just bumped into someone."

_Do you think he'd get mad if I told him I spent the day with his girlfriend?_

"Who? Your girlfriend? Yeah, what's her name?"

"_Kari_," I informed him. _How could he forget his own girlfriend's name?_ _How could _I_ forget _mine_?_

"... I meant _your_ girlfriend; not mine. Why, did you see her today?" _Oh. I knew that._

"NO. I mean, no. Why would you think that? I wouldn't hang out with her without your knowledge. I mean, that would be so... un-brotherly!"

He just stared at me. He knew I tended to babble if I felt guilty about something.

"Okay. It's good to know you would never be 'un-brotherly' to me. But I just asked if you saw her."

"Right. Well, I didn't." Awkward silence. "So, speaking of Kari, what was all that about? You know, in the bathroom."

He shot me a death glare. "That was nothing."

"Well, I heard you shout something about not kissing her. Whoever she may be."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Dude, you haven't kissed her yet? !" I don't know why this upset me so much.

"No. Okay? I haven't kissed her yet. You happy?" _Actually, I am kind of happy._

"No, I'm not happy. Dude, you have to kiss her soon or she'll think your relationship's not going anywhere." He looked down at the floor.

"You haven't even asked her out yet, have you?" I really didn't need to interrogate him like this; I already knew all the details from Kari. But I had to knock some sense into my brother.

"No." He wouldn't look up.

"Why not?" _I knew why. I knew perfectly why._

"Because . . . I don't want to get my hopes up and have them taken away agin," he mumbled to his shoes.

"That won't happen this time. I promise." A lightbulb appeared above my head. I had the perfect, foolproof plan.

I waited for Koji to fall asleep before I executed the first steps of the plan. So at about three in the morning, I got the phone and dialed. It started to ring.

"Hello?" I heard a girl answer sleepily from the other end of the line.

"Hey, Kari? It's Kouichi. Sorry to wake you." I tried to talk in as low a voice as I could so I wouldn't wake up Koji. Or else he would find out about my foolproof plan.

"Kouichi? What in the world?"

"Look. I couldn't let Koji know I was talking to you so I had to wait until he went to bed. But I forgot he practically never sleeps. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the mall with me tomorrow?"

"Sure. Is Koji coming? Wait. Is that why you woke me up? Just to ask me that?"

"Well, you see . . . Koji's not supposed to know you're coming with us. It's like a surprise."

"Well, to me, it sounds more like a blind date. Kouichi . . . did you at least think this little plan of yours through?"

"... Yeah, of course."

"You're lying. Look, as long as Koji doesn't go into a blind rage, I'll go along with this. Good night," she said, hanging up immediately afterward. I sighed.

_Wait. Would Koji really go into a blind rage?..._

The next day, I crept into Koji's room while he was still sleeping and sat down next to him in his bed, waiting for him to wake up.

_I just have to act totally normal so he won't become suspicious. Blind date! What date? ..._

_I am so bad at lying. Gosh, must I have been born with the honesty gene?_

I heard him shift. I sat up and stared at his eyes, seeing if they would open. Apparently, that was a very stalker-ish thing to do because when he opened his eyes and saw me, he screamed and jumped back. Thus, falling off the bed.

"What the hell?! Kouichi?! What are you, a stalker? Don't watch me sleep like that!" he yelled.

"Sorry. I, uh, just wanted to talk to you about something." _Lies. Lies!_

"Oh. Well, you could've just come up to me and told me that instead of sneaking up on me in my sleep," he remarked, getting up to go to the bathroom.

"Right . . . Anyway, I was wondering if you'd wanna come with me to the mall," I said, leaning against the wall outside the bathroom. He stuck his head out of the door, a toothbrush in his mouth.

"To go _shopping_?"

"Gross. No, of course not. I don't know, just to . . . hang out, I guess."

_I hope he doesn't notice I'm such a horrible liar. _

He raised an eyebrow at my suspicious pause. "Sure. Whatever."

"Really?! I mean, really? I know you're not much for that whole scene."

"Well, do you _want_ me to go or not?"

"NO! You HAVE to come!" I accidentally blurted out. And at a high volume, too.

_Oh my gosh, I am paranoid. I have became insane. I have become a psycho._

He started to chuckle under his breath. He knew I was up to something. He knew it.

"Dude, calm down. I'll go. Sheesh."

He closed the door and resumed his morning routine. I gave out a sigh of relief.

_I never knew how hard it was to lie. People make it seem so easy._

So at about noontime, we headed for the Shibuya Shopping Center.I sent Kari a text once we left the house:

_Meet us at the food court in 20. He's onto our plan._

She replied:

_Don't you mean _your_ plan?_

And as planned, in about 20 minutes we got to the food court and there was Kari. I started waving to her, until my brother practically tackled me.

"Dude! What the hell is _she _doing here?! You told her to come, didn't you? You set me up, man! You are SO dea-

"Hey, you two," I heard Kari say, obviously enjoying the fact that my plan was most likely to backfire. Boy, was she wrong.

Koji just stared at her. I elbowed him in the side to get him to say something.

"Uh . . . H-h-hey, Kari," he stammered.

"Hey." She gave him a look that made his brain melt. And how would I know what goes on in his cranium? It's a twin thing.

She turned to me. "Hey. How's it going?"

"It's fine. Everything's fine. Everything will be perfect," I declared to her. She just ignored me and started talking to a flustered Koji.

_Pssh. Women._

I suddenly found myself staring at her. Her deep chocolate brown hair, sparkling amethyst eyes, sweet smile . . . and that laugh. Oh, that laugh.

"Hey. Hey, Kouichi. You hungry?" I heard Koji say.

"Huh?" _Stupid thoughts._ "Oh. Yeah. What do you guys want?"

After we ordered our food, Kari and I went to search for a table. We ended up sitting in awkward silence.

_Oh great. I'm just sitting here like a complete moron. I have to at least say_ something.

Right when I was about to converse with Kari, Koji came back with our food and plopped down into the seat next to her.

_Never mind that then._

For about a whole hour, they just kept talking and flirting and eating and laughing as though I didn't even exist in the world; as though I wasn't sitting right across from them.

_It sucks being a third wheel. Or just a wheel in general._

Finally lunch was done. I was so relieved. Then I realized that the hanging out part came next.

"Hey, Kouichi. Since Kari's only been here for about a month and a half, I was thinking of showing her all our secret hangouts."

That was pretty much twin talk for, "I'm going to go bring her into a dark alley to swap spit. So go away."

I got the message.

"Okay. Just keep your clothes on, kiddies." They turned a million shades of red.

I chuckled under my breath as I began to walk away. But before I could even get out of earshot of the two, I heard someone yell Kari's name.

"Kari! Hey!" an American guy yelled, jogging over to her.

_Wait. American. . ._ _Is he_-

"_Jesse_?"

A/N: Like the little cliffie-hanger? And don't worry. If you didn't like this chapter, just know that it'll get interesting soon enough. Buh-bye for now! Mwah!

infinite x's and o's,

**_One Last Tear_**


	6. Goodbye, Hello

Catch Me When I Fall.

Chapter Six. Goodbye, Hello

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry it's been awhile. I blame global warming. Kidding, kidding. That's always my excuse. But really, it's been lack of inspiration. But I have been working on this chapter in bits and pieces. So I apologize if it's VERY VERY suckish.

"_Jesse_?"

* * *

POV: Kari

"_J-Jesse?_ What are you doing here?" I stared at the hallucination.

_This is all just in my head. This is all just a dream. A dream, dammit!_

"H-hey," the hallucination said to me, cautiously. It hugged me. "So, how are you? Man, I thought I'd never see you again." He let me go, realizing I wasn't responding to his embrace.

I looked at him. I could barely breathe. "Jesse..." I whispered.

_Start Flashback..._

_He took me by the hand and led me into the glow of the bonfire. We sat down, took off our shoes , and buried our toes in the sand. It was one of those picture-perfect nights; the ones you always dream about having. And here I was: sitting on a beautiful beach, under a beautiful star-filled sky, with the most beautiful person in the Milky Way; and guess what? I felt the absolute opposite of beauty; of sheer joy. Tonight would be the most miserable night of my life. And yet, I made myself act like it would be the best._

"_Hey. You okay? You seem, I don't know... distracted." Jesse looked at me with genuine concern._

Ugh. Kill me now. I can't believe I'm leaving this wonderful male specimen. I've gone insane.

"_Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all," I lied to him._

Okay. I really have no idea why I can't just tell him I'm moving back home. It's really not that hard. I mean, all I have to say is: 'Jesse, I'm moving back to Japan. It was a promise I made to my parents, and I intend to keep it.' Of course, nothing's ever that easy in real life.

_I took a deep breath. "Jesse? I have to tell you something."_

"_Me too. But before we say anything, let's go somewhere a little more private," he said unexpectedly._

_So I simply followed him. He led me over to a rocky area of the beach, not too far from the bonfire that we could still see the glow of the flames. After we sat down, he looked at me, took my hands and held them in his._

Okay. Here I go. Deep breath, and-

"_Kari... I love you."_

Whoa. Wait. Now I know that wasn't me talking. Did he just say what I think he said? Or maybe I passed out from all of the insanity and this is just a dream. Yeah, that's it! I'm totally asleep right now.

_I bit my tongue._

Ouch. Okay, I'm awake.

_After a few moments of silence, I realized that he wasn't joking. Then I realized I still hadn't told him the truth yet. I looked into his eyes. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't._

"_I love you, too," was what I ended up saying._

_He gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear._

Oh, great. Here come the water works!

_He laid his hand on my cheek. I tried my hardest to fight off the tears that stung my eyes. I was having my own Cinderella story; and yet, I felt like an ugly stepsister. And as his lips met mine, I began to feel even worse. The tears just went streaming down and I couldn't stop myself. I buried my face in his neck and sobbed; but he didn't even question me. He simply held me in his arms and whispered,_

"_I've never felt as happy as I do now. I'm never going to let you go." _

_End Flashback..._

He smiled at me. I could feel the tears again. His face became a blur.

_Don't cry. At least, not in front of Koji and Kouichi._

"Kari," he said as he wrapped his arms around me once more.

"You said you were never going to let me go," I whispered through my tears. I was crying.

_Start Flashback..._

_Ding dong!_

_It took him a while to answer the door considering it was only_ _six_ _in the morning._

I am a stupid woman. This is a crazy idea. He's probably going to end up hating me forever.

_Amidst my thoughts, I heard the doorknob turn. And standing there, in front of me, was Jesse. He was the boy who, just last night, told me he loved me; who held me in his arms and said he would never let me go; and who would soon have his heart broken into a million pieces, but I wouldn't be there to mend them. This would all happen with the utterance of one simple statement:_

"_Jesse. I'm moving back to Japan."_

_I couldn't believe myself. This was the moment I had been dreading all semester. I had almost forgotten the promise I made to my parents when they had agreed to the exchange student program at Shibuya High. I promised them I would live in Japan for my last two years of high school so we could make the college decision together as a family. Or at least that's what they would tell me. But I knew what the real reason was: they were afraid I would leave home for good and they would never see me again. They knew how much I hated it at home. Still, I respected my parents enough to keep my word. Even if it meant leaving behind the best thing that's ever happened to me; the person who turned my whole world around._

"_What?" he said, rubbing his eyes as though making sure all this was real._

"_I'm moving back to Japan," I re-stated clearly. "I'm not sure how long, but two years at the least."_

"_But... I thought you said you were staying in the program for the full four years."_

"_That's what I thought, too. Then I remembered I made a deal with my parents. I promised them my last two years of high school would be spent at home in Shibuya."_

"_Wait... When did you remember?"_

"_Beginning of last semester."_

"_And you didn't tell me? Why?"_

"_I've been trying to- I tried to last night- but it was hard. I just couldn't. Please understand."_

"_Well, I don't, but I'm trying to." He paused and tried to search for my eyes for an explanation. "So, I have to wait two years?"_

"_I'm not sure yet. But my parents really don't want me going away again."_

"_But, aren't kids supposed to go away for college? I mean, I know some parents have a hard time with that stuff, but it has to happen eventually."_

"_I guess. They're just afraid they'll never see me again. As in I'll vanish from their lives."_

"_Well, of course they think that. But you won't. I mean, you visit them every time we have a break from school."_

Oh great. Confession time. Deep breaths, Kari. Deep breaths.

"_Actually... I didn't go back home on breaks. I flew to California instead. I stayed with some relatives."_

"What_?"_

"_Jesse, I'm sorry I lied to you. But I just couldn't go back home."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I can't tell you."_

"_Tell me," he insisted._

"_What?"_

"_Tell me why. Tell me why you couldn't go back home. Tell me why you lied to me."_

"_No..."_

"_Stop hiding things from me and tell me now."_

"_No. Trust me. You'll never understand. I promised my brother I would never tell a soul."_

_He stared at me. I wouldn't blame him for being mad. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't trust a word I was saying._

"_... When are you leaving?"_

_Apparently, he got over it already._

"_Look, before I tell you... Just kiss me first."_

"_Why? What's wrong?"_

"_Just... just kiss me. Please." _

_And as I kissed him for what was most likely the last time, I shut my eyes tight and tried to store the moment in my memory to make sure I would always remember it. I took a deep breath and readied myself for the worst part of this whole predicament._

"_My flight is at nine."_

"_When?"_

"_Nine. It's at nine"_

"_Yeah, I know. But what day?"_

"_... Today."_

"What_?"_

"_My flight is in two and a half hours. I'm leaving this morning."_

"_Wait. _WHAT_?"_

_I opened my mouth to tell him again, but he cut me off before I could even make a sound._

"_No, I know what you said. But how can you be leaving _this morning_? How can you be leaving in _two hours_?! Oh, right, sorry- ha- I forgot; you like to tell me things at the very last minute."_

_I opened my mouth to try to explain myself but I had to hold back the tears. Plus, he wouldn't even let me say one syllable._

"_No. You know what? I don't even want to hear what you have to say next. Any more exciting news? Hm? Maybe a husband waiting for you in Japan?" his voice just kept rising an octave._

"_Wait! You don't understand!"_

"_Of course I don't understand! Because I'm some idiot in the world who means nothing to you since you kept this from me! How could you not tell me?!"_

_I saw a tear run down his cheek even though he looked like he was about to punch me in the face. He looked at me, allowing me a word. I didn't know what to say._

"_Why do you even care if I leave, anyways?" I whispered._

"_Why do I care? Why do I _care_?! Be cause I love you, dammit!" he yelled and slammed the door in my face._

_I knew he didn't go inside, though, because I could hear sobs from the other side of the door. He knew I was still there, too. My mind couldn't even process what had just happened seconds ago, so I just stood there and listened to him cry. Before I knew it, I was crying with him. After a few minutes, I checked my watch and realized I was going to be late. As I walked down the steps on his front porch, I could hear footsteps fading from behind me. I didn't dare look back._

_End Flashback..._

to be continued... eventually...

A/N: So, school is starting in two days and I am going to be extremely busy. But I'll try to update this story whenever I get the chance. Especially before I have to start studying for the Academic Decathlon.

Koji: cough nerd.

me: raises eyebrow what?

Koji: acts all innocent nuthin...

anywhoo, look out for updates in the future. and i assure you there _will _be tons of updates if you happily review! so go and click on the pretty review button. go on!


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